Gold

by Chris Cleave

The extraordinary third novel from Chris Cleave, author of the internationally bestselling, Costa-shortlisted THE OTHER HAND.

Usually, this is where we'd tell you what this book is about.

But with Chris Cleave, it's a bit different.

Because if you've read THE OTHER HAND or INCENDIARY, you'll know that what his books are about is only part of the story - what really matters is how they make you feel.

GOLD is about the limits of human endurance, both physical and emotional.

It will make you cry.

GOLD is about what drives us to succeed - and what we choose to sacrifice for success.

It will make you feel glad to be alive.

GOLD is about the struggles we all face every day; the conflict between winning on others' terms, and triumphing on your own.

It will make you count your blessings.

GOLD is a story told as only Chris Cleave could tell it. And once you begin, it will be a heart-pounding race to the finish.

• ISBN10: 145167273X
• ISBN13: 9781451672732
• Publish Date: 30 April 2013 (first published 5 June 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Chelsea]

Cover

This is a really fun and simple cover. I really enjoy it. Plus it looks pretty on my shelf.

Initial Thoughts

I don't usually read a lot of adult contemporary. I don't know why because I read young adult contemporary. Sometimes they're just too adult like for me. I like fun and light books. This was not a fun and light book. It was a little rough, especially just starting it. It's about a little girl who has cancer and her mom is an olympic cyclist. It was really easy getting into it though. I was able to jump right into the story.

My New BFF

I really liked Sophie. Of all the characters I liked the little girl the most. A little weird. But she was really inspiring! I really liked how we got to see her point of view every once and a while. I love how she tried to hard to act tough so she wouldn't upset her parents. She was a great character.

My Crush

This isn't really a crush book but my favourite male character was Tom, the coach. He was amazing! He tried to be the grumpy old man but he loved Kate and Zoe so much. He was really great at inspiring others. Everything he did or said he did it for a reason. I thin I mostly liked him because he wasn't a typical character. He had his ups and downs too but he was always there when his girls needed him.

Writing Style

The writing style was pretty light. Even though there were some heavy topics it was dark and upsetting. It was actually really inspiring. He was great at building up his characters too. I like how we got to see a little bit into all their pasts. I also liked to different points of view. I found it really helped me get into the story.

Closing Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I know a lot of people are comparing it to his other book and giving it low ratings. I haven't read his other book so I didn't have any expectations. I also didn't know anything going into this book. I really enjoyed how each character had a little story but they all combined into each other. It was really different but in a good way. There was the little girl with cancer, the first time parents, the Olympic cyclist, the coach/father figure, etc. All of them had they're own battles to face but they were all connected. If you haven't read this book, do it. Take a chance.

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

Zoe and Kate are world-class athletes; they have been rivals on the track from the very start but they are also friends. Gold follows the story of these two cyclists life leading up the 2012 London Olympics. Both women will be tested on and off the track, being pushed to their physical and emotional limits. The book follows the two through most of their professional career, starting at 19 all the way up to training for their final Olympic event.

This is a strong character driven book, Kate is the nice one, she is a mother first and an athlete second who is always Zoe’s heels. Zoe on the other hand is driven purely by the need to win and will stop at nothing to gain the advantage. Even the support characters are wonderful; from the bitter coach Tom, Kate’s husband Jack who also is an Olympic cyclist and can be very cocky about his constant lack of competition. Not forgetting Jake and Kate’s daughter Sophie, who while is suffering from leukaemia is constantly trying to remain strong to stop her parents worrying about her so much.

Chris Cleave writes a wonderful book, this is a story full of passion, humour and tragedy. I was excited to read this book, I’ve been eyeing it for a few weeks and when my local book club decided to read it, I finally had an excuse. I really love exploring the characters; Zoe was a real stand out for me, her flaws made her a character I wanted to read more about. To offset the dense nature of this book, Cleave did a wonderful job at lightening the mood, from Sophie’s obsession with Star Wars to the humour with lines like; “The boys sat around and talked about Keats and fine bone China, or whatever they talk about before they are about to spend 8 hours racing each other”.

Gold is a deep bittersweet story that full of empathy, sharp observations and strong characters. Chris Cleave did a great job of balancing the novel out so it never felt heavy or too light. I think I even surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book; it was such a joy to read. I’ve even heard the Chris Cleave’s other books are worth checking out and if Gold is anything to go by, then I’m excited to read more.

[elvinagb]

This extraordinary novel asks the simple question - What would you give up for love? Your friends, your family, your dreams, your passion, your life? Kate and Zoe, friends from the age of 19, meet at an elite cycling training centre and over the next 15 years compete for a spot on the British Cycling team, for the love of the same man and for Olympic gold. This story has great moments of triumph and tragedy, sorrow and elation as Kate and Zoe come to the final test as to who will represent their county for the gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Will it cost them more than the chance to race, will their rivalry cost them their friendship and families.
Not many books leaving me with tears but this has me searching for the kleenex box.